The Pima County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately deploy a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with thermal imaging during the initial search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother. This delay may have affected the investigation, according to a report.
The department did not use its Cessna aircraft, Survey 1, which is outfitted with high-resolution thermal-imaging cameras, for several hours after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Sunday, multiple sources told the Daily Mail.
The reported delay was attributed to a staffing shortage, with sources blaming Sheriff Chris Nanos, a Democrat, for a lack of available pilots.
Pima County Sheriff’s Deputies Association President Aaron Cross and Pima County Republican Party Chair Kathleen Winn told the outlet that qualified pilots had been transferred out of the unit before Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
One pilot was reassigned due to disciplinary action weeks before the case, while another was moved from the unit in November 2025, according to the report.
A helicopter was deployed immediately, but it lacked the advanced sensors and thermal imaging capabilities of the Cessna aircraft, the outlet reported.
The fixed-wing aircraft was eventually launched at approximately 5 p.m., according to the report.
An email seeking comment from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office was not immediately returned on Friday.
Pima County Board of Supervisors member Matt Heinz questioned whether the delay may have impacted the search.
“So, not having every asset at disposal for the search within the first few hours — is that going to have an impact? I cannot be sure, but it certainly doesn’t look or sound good,” Heinz told the outlet.
Cross, a vocal critic of Nanos, was placed on leave in 2024 after the department alleged he engaged in political activity while appearing to be dressed in uniform, according to AZPM.
Cross later filed a lawsuit challenging the disciplinary action.
Heinz endorsed Nanos’ Republican opponent in the 2024 sheriff’s race.
Nanos has repeatedly defended his department’s handling of the high-profile case.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night, and family members contacted police Sunday morning after she was not found at her Tucson home.
Investigators believe Nancy was abducted and may be being held against her will.
Savannah Guthrie, a co-host of NBC’s “Today,” and her siblings have pleaded publicly for their mother’s safe return after alleged ransom notes were sent to news outlets demanding money.
Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have not identified any suspects or persons of interest.
Authorities say they still have not identified any suspects or persons of interest in her disappearance, and the FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information, officials announced Thursday.
Investigators from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation provided updates during a joint briefing, emphasizing that the case remains active and that officials are pursuing all leads. Guthrie was reported missing January 31 from her home in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson.
Authorities believe Guthrie was taken from her residence against her will and continue to treat the incident as a potential abduction. Law enforcement has described the search as ongoing, and Sheriff Chris Nanos said officials have not confirmed proof of life.
When asked if Tommaso Cioni, Guthrie’s son-in-law, was the last person to see her before her disappearance on Sunday, the county sheriff confirmed that a family member had driven her home on Saturday night but did not specify who it was.
“We’re actively looking at everybody we come across in this case, everybody. It would be irresponsible if we didn’t talk to everybody,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said. “Everybody is still a suspect in our eyes.”
Nanos reported that authorities have revealed new information about the final moments leading up to Guthrie’s disappearance.
On the night of January 31, Guthrie returned home at approximately 9:48 p.m. Authorities indicated that within two minutes, the garage door closed, marking the last confirmed sign of her presence inside the home.